• Best CPA Networks
  • Best Cost-Per-Sale Affiliate Networks
  • Best Pay-Per-Call Networks
  • mThink Digital
  • Thought Leadership
    • White Papers
  • About
    • Content Marketing
    • Content Strategy
      • Web Content
      • Social Media Strategy
      • Webinars & Video
      • Thought Leadership
    • Performance Marketing
    • Portfolio
      • Revenue Performance
      • Accenture
      • Microsoft
      • Java Detour
      • Our Process
    • Contact Us

mThink

Blue Book Logo

BlueBook Logo

The Trusted Name in Performance Marketing

Revenue & eCommerce Blog

  • Home
  • Blue Book
    • About Blue Book
    • Blue Ribbon Panel
    • Interviews
    • Research Methodology
    • Back Issues
    • Advertising
      • Website Creative Specifications
      • Newsletter Creative Specifications
  • Best CPA Networks
  • Best Cost-Per-Sale Affiliate Networks
  • Best Pay-Per-Call Networks
  • Best European CPA Networks
  • Best CPA Networks for Affiliates
  • Best CPA Networks for Advertisers

How the Affiliate Channel Drives In-Store Success

October 10, 2017 by CJ Affiliate

US retail stores are closing at the fastest rate and most dramatic volumes ever. At the same time, the affiliate channel is driving increased foot traffic, higher engagement than other channels, improved sales and stronger customer retention. There are four important strategies marketers should adopt to leverage this success and drive high-value in-store sales through affiliate marketing.

#1 Advocate for Affiliate’s Offline Influence

A whopping 77% of Gen Z, a “digital native” group that holds $44 billion in annual spending power, still prefers to purchase in-store, according to studies by Mintel and Accenture. Then there’s Amazon: the retail giant’s bold move into brick and mortar with the purchase of Whole Foods signals that it can’t rely on e-commerce alone. How can marketers take advantage of these realities? Engage with affiliate and high-reach publishers to capitalize on this digital-to-offline influence and shopping behavior.

Analysis of affiliate performance, combined with our first-party buyer profile data, shows that affiliate shoppers who purchase offline generate 30% higher annual revenue than non-affiliate shoppers. In one scenario, a women’s apparel retailer experienced up to 50% incremental revenue contribution from affiliate partners after it prioritized site-to-store strategies. This demonstrates the value of affiliate—champion this within your organization to gain support and investment.

#2 Leverage Affiliate’s Flexible Cost Structure

Affiliate is a highly nimble channel that can flex to dynamic cost structures, margins by product category, new customer acquisition vs. repeat purchase costs, and factors in purchase return to final Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)/Return on Investment (ROI). It’s the only digital channel with this flexibility, which means a truer ROI and allows alignment of margins at scale. To boost in-store traffic via affiliate, marketers can increase the weight of investment for in-store, high margin offers/shoppers vs. that of online, low-margin offers/shoppers, resulting in stronger efficiencies per the value of those respective shopper segments.

#3 Build a Connected, Collaborative Team

Align the retail in-store team and e-commerce business team around the same goals and it will create greater cost efficiencies, accelerated growth, and higher potential for brand loyalty. Too often these business units are managed and measured in silos. E-commerce might foot the bill for in-store revenue generated, yet the credit could go to stores, resulting in dips in e-commerce ROAS, limited e-commerce budgets, and missed opportunities for customer engagement and sales. When you work together from the beginning, it opens the door for cross-unit investment, unified measurement, and cohesive strategies.

#4 Demonstrate Results with Elevated KPIs and Measurement

The unprecedented use of marrying customer profile data (comprised of online and offline transactions) with affiliate transactions enables marketers to put their robust data to work, similar to other channels. In doing so, they gain more understanding of shopper value, partner value, and cross-device engagements within affiliate. These deeper customer insights elevate measurement beyond top-line revenue and ROAS and enable affiliate strategies to address various KPIs.

While it will require a combination of efforts to help traditional retail stores evolve, affiliate drives measured offline sales in significant ways. Employ these strategies to find success with your business.

Related posts:

  1. 2017 Investments, Technology and Fraud Interview with Adam Weiss, General Manager and SVP for Rakuten...
  2. How Tequila Helps Business: ClickDealer’s Event Strategy They say success comes with true passion to one’s craft....
  3. How Affiliates Won It For Trump Strange but true: affiliates played a significant role in electing...
  4. In Defense of Networks One thing that becomes obvious as you look through the...

Filed Under: Blue Book, Featured, Revenue Tagged With: affiliate channel, affiliate marketing, affiliate networks

Search

ROS Column 2 High – 300×250 (Global)

ROS Column 2 Mid – 300×250 (Global)

ROS Column 2 Low – 300×misc (Global)

Subscribe to our newsletter!

* indicates required

Lowest Ad in Column 2 – 300×250

Recent Posts

  • Court Holds Professional TCPA Litigant Can Face Fraud-Based Counterclaim
  • Defendant Behind Alleged Bogus Health Insurance Scheme Agrees to Settle FTC Charges
  • How to Set Up a Warm Transfer Campaign Without Breaking the Bank (Step by Step)
  • Five Advertisers Speak Their Minds on the Importance of Network Partnerships, Transparency, and Fraud Prevention
  • Why All Media Buyers Need to Add Pay Per Call in 2021
  • Court Holds No TCPA Standing With Ringless Voice Mail Message
  • Promote E-gift Cards to Drive More Last-Minute Holiday Sales
  • Ecommerce Is On Top Of The World As Consumers Embrace Online Shopping Like Never Before
  • DoJ Announces Historic Civil Penalty in a Telemarketing Enforcement Action
  • How ClickDealer Grew To Be The Best CPA Network In Europe – An Interview with Taras Kiseliuk
  • Why Fewer, Better Customers Is The Way To Thrive – An Interview With Olivier Bourque, CrakRevenue
  • The Best CPA Networks In Europe
  • Alexandra Forsch of Awin & ShareASale Talks Opportunities, Technology & How Affiliate Marketing Will Take A Bigger Share Of Ad Budgets
  • How Networks Drive Efficiencies For Advertisers & Publishers – An Interview With Some of The Perform[cb] Leadership Team
  • Can an EBR be Created DURING a Telephone Solicitation?

About mThink

mThink is a specialist digital marketing company based in San Francisco. We focus on media buying, Facebook marketing, direct response, social and mobile. In addition mThink produces the annual Blue Book Rankings of major performance marketing networks. Read More »

Copyright ©2021 · mThink. All rights reserved.
3053 Fillmore Street, Suite 325 | (415) 787-0250
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy